U.S. patent application number 11/193623 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-16 for non clogging screen.
Invention is credited to Edward A. Higginbotham.
Application Number | 20060053697 11/193623 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35005011 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060053697 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Higginbotham; Edward A. |
March 16, 2006 |
Non clogging screen
Abstract
A filter assembly is provided that has a filtering screen and a
skeletal structure, the skeletal structure being attached to the
filtering screen. At least one of the filtering screen and the
skeletal structure form a plurality of downward extending
channels.
Inventors: |
Higginbotham; Edward A.;
(Amherst, VA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
VENABLE LLP
P.O. BOX 34385
WASHINGTON
DC
20045-9998
US
|
Family ID: |
35005011 |
Appl. No.: |
11/193623 |
Filed: |
August 1, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10635679 |
Aug 7, 2003 |
6951077 |
|
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11193623 |
Aug 1, 2005 |
|
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60401781 |
Aug 8, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04D 13/076
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/012 |
International
Class: |
E04D 13/00 20060101
E04D013/00 |
Claims
1. A filter assembly, comprising: a filtering screen; and a
skeletal structure, the skeletal structure attached to the
filtering screen, wherein at least one of the filtering screen and
the skeletal structure form a plurality of downward extending
channels.
2. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality
of downward extending channels are v-shaped.
3. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality
of downward extending channels are each equal to or greater than
3/8 inches in length, the plurality of downward extending channels
further being spaced at least approximately 1 inch apart.
4. The filter assembly according to claim 1, the filtering screen
comprising a fine mesh screen having front and rear opposing
longitudinal edges and having a top surface and a bottom
surface.
5. The filter assembly according to claim 1, the filtering screen
further comprising threads with openings between threads no greater
than 80 microns.
6. The filter assembly according to claim 1, the filtering screen
comprising warp-knit or junctured threads.
7. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the underlying
skeletal structure comprises an expanded metal wire screen having
front and rear opposing longitudinal edges with a top surface and a
bottom surface.
8. The filter assembly according to claim 7, wherein the expanded
metal wire screen of the skeletal structure comprises wire between
0.035 and 0.055 inch gauge.
9. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the skeletal
structure includes diamond-shaped water receiving openings.
10. The filter assembly according to claim 9, wherein the diamond
shaped water receiving openings of the skeletal structure include
angled metal walls, said filtering screen contacting a top surface
of the angled metal walls.
11. The filter assembly according to claim 9, wherein the diamond
shaped water receiving openings are formed by metal walls extending
downward and angled approximately 30-40 degrees whereby multi
angled redirection of forward water flow downward is realized
aiding siphoning and self-cleaning properties of said filter
assembly.
12. The filter assembly according to claim 9, wherein a width of
each diamond shaped water receiving opening is equal to or greater
than 3/8 inch, whereby water bridging paths across said water
receiving opening and resulting forward flow of water is
diminished.
13. The filter assembly according to claim 9, wherein skeletal
structure is positioned so that angled metal walls of the diamond
shaped water receiving openings are angled downward and rearward
from a forward longitudinal edge of the filter assembly such that a
forward flow of water is redirected downward.
14. The filter assembly according to claim 1, the filtering screen
comprising a fine mesh screen having front and rear opposing
longitudinal edges and having a top surface and a bottom surface;
the underlying skeletal structure comprising an expanded metal wire
screen having front and rear opposing longitudinal edges with a top
surface and a bottom surface; a forward connector portion crimped
to the front longitudinal edges of the filtering screen and the
skeletal structure; and a rear connector portion associated with
and crimped to the rear longitudinal edges of the filtering screen
and the skeletal structure.
15. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality
of downward extending channels are crimped such that opposing walls
of the downward extending channels contact each other further
securing the filtering screen to the skeletal structure.
16. The filter assembly according to claim 1, said filtering screen
being adapted to be configured in roll form for the purpose of
decoiling into a roll form shaping machine.
17. The filter assembly according to claim 1, said skeletal
structure being adapted to be configured in roll form for the
purpose of decoiling into a roll form shaping machine.
18. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the filtering
screen is attached to the skeletal structure by at least one of
sprayed-on adhesive, adhesive strips and/or roll crimping.
19. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the filter
screen and the skeletal structure form the plurality of downward
extending channels.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/635,679, entitled "Non Clogging Screen,"
filed Aug. 7, 2003, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by
reference, and claims priority to Provisional Patent Application
No. 60/401,781 filed Aug. 8, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to composite screen or perforated
surface and filtering membranes.
[0004] 2. Related Prior Art
[0005] Various gutter anti-clogging devices are known in the art
and some are described in issued patents.
[0006] In my U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,352, incorporated herein by
reference, I disclose a filter configuration comprised of a debris
repelling membrane, overlying a skeletal structure of ellipsoid
rods spaced and resting on vertical planes that serve to break the
forward flow of water and to channel water onto and through its
integral perforated horizontal plane. Included herein is product
literature for LEAFFILTER.TM., a gutter guard patterned after
designs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,352. To date,
LEAFFILTER.TM. has been noted to remain free enough of debris clogs
and/or coatings of scum, oil, and pollutants so as to disallow
gutter clogs in every known instance of it's installation onto rain
gutter systems attached to at least eight thousand residential
homes. The LEAFFILTER.TM. system, however, is costly to manufacture
in comparison to other gutter guard systems.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,700 to Davis teaches a composite gutter
guard, marketed as Sheer Flo.RTM., comprising a polymer coated
fiberglass mesh filter cloth overlying and sonic welded to an
underlying perforated plane, disclosed in claims 1 and 4. Davis
specifically teaches employment of a medium filter opening
fiberglass mesh rather than a fine metal or polymer mesh cloth,
disclosed in Column 1 lines 19-35. Such fiberglass mesh of medium
openings can be shown to allow the lodging of pine needle tips and
to be subject to water-proofing due to oil leaching from roofing
shingles. This may cause permanent accumulation of debris upon the
composite gutter guard and water-proofing may allow forward, rather
than downward flow of water to occur. In instances of high ambient
temperatures sonic welded fiberglass has been shown to break free
of the underlying polymer plane and the composite gutter guard has
been shown to warp and wave due to heat deformation. Davis teaches
a mostly single planar composite gutter guard that allows much
forward underflow of water to occur on the underside of the
disclosed invention and such underflow acts to oppose downward flow
of water through perforations.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,020 to Nitch teaches a gutter screen for
preventing the accumulation of debris within a gutter. Nitch
teaches a gutter screen that has a plurality of v-shaped bars
positioned to run above and generally parallel to the gutter. Nitch
teaches that the unique shape of the bars minimize the surface area
of the underside of the screen decreases water tension on the
underside of the screen and postulates that this decreases the
ability of water to accumulate on the underside of the screen which
promotes the pulling of water into the gutter, disclosed in Col. 2
lines 45 through 50. Such a device can be shown to eventually allow
debris to accumulate within the spaces between v-shaped bars. Such
a device can additionally be shown to allow the forward channeling
of water to occur as an underflow from tip to tip of the downward
most portion of the v-shaped bars due to their close spacing and
lack of a length of downward extension that would provide a greater
directed downward flow of water into the underlying gutter. This
and other prior art do not recognize that water adhesion surfaces
extending downward from a planar surface into a rain gutter in a
height staggered manner or that are separated by a minimum of one
inch provide greater siphoning action and are less likely to be
overcome by a forward channeling of under flowing water on the
underside of surfaces that receive water through perforations or
open channels than is reliance on a lesser amount of water adhesion
on the underside of perforated surfaces or screens with bottom most
water dispersing areas that are closely spaced and follow mostly
horizontally linear or follow a linear path that angles downward
from the rear most portion of a gutter guard to the front lip of a
rain gutter. Allowing for greater spacing of rods or fins or water
channeling paths or staggering and/or extending the height of rods
or fins so that they extend to a depth that the volume of water
they channel downward overcomes by sheer weight and gravity an
opposing underflow and continues a downward flow into an underlying
gutter has not been found to be a simple matter of anticipation, or
design choice by those skilled in the arts. Rather, it has proved
to be unclaimed in disclosed prior art and untested in the field
with the exception of the LEAFFILTER.TM. gutter guard which has
proved to be very efficient at channeling water downward into a
rain gutter while disallowing either the rain gutter or the gutter
guard to clog or exhibit an overflow of water. Nitch teaches that
fine screens allow for water run-off and are less capable of
receiving water than other structural components such as bars or
ribs, disclosed in Col. I lines 33-35. This and other prior art
such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,700 to Davis do not recognize that fine
screens can be shown to exhibit great water permeability and
downward water channeling properties when contacting ovaled or
angled edged surfaces resting on downward extending legs as is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,352 to Higginbotham, Col. 18 lines
26-67, Col. 19 lines 1-54.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,061 to Chen teaches a rain cover that
includes pairs of adjacent fins separated by a uniform traverse gap
that significantly increases the return of water to the gutter by
surface tension with the fin walls, disclosed in the ABSTRACT. As
occurs with U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,020, copious amounts of roof runoff
may negate the intended effect of water returning to the gutter
allowing for forward flow of water past the gutter. The bottom
terminal points of the fin walls Chen teaches exist in the same
linear plane as do the bottom terminal points of the rods Nitch
teaches in U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,020. This allows a forward underflow
(beneath the topmost surface of a perforated or open channeled
plane) of water to occur. In my U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,352 it is
disclosed that such forward rather than downward flow of water has
been shown to cease if downward extending planes or rods of varying
heights, disallowing a linear channeling path for water to follow,
and sufficiently spaced are employed beneath the top most surface
of water receiving areas but the disclosed preferred embodiment has
been shown costly to manufacture.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,891 to Albracht teaches a gutter
protection system for preventing entrance of debris into a rain
gutter. Albracht teaches a gutter protection system to include a
single continuous two sided well with angled sides and perforated
bottom shelf 9 into which rainwater will flow and empty into the
rain gutter below. The well is of a depth, which is capable of
receiving a filter mesh material. However, attempts to insert or
cover such open channels of "reverse-curve" devices with filter
meshes or cloths is known to prevent rainwater from entering the
water receiving channels. This occurrence exists because of the
tendency of such membranes, (unsupported by a proper skeletal
structure), to channel water, by means of water adhesion along the
interconnected paths existing in the filter membranes (and in the
enclosures they may be contained by or in), past the intended
water-receiving channel and to the ground. This occurrence also
exists because of the tendency of filter mediums of any present
known design or structure to quickly waterproof or clog when
inserted into such channels creating even greater channeling of
rainwater forward into a spill past an underlying rain gutter.
Filtering of such open, recessed, channels existing in Albracht's
invention as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,696, to Knittel, U.S.
Pat. No. 2,672,832 to Goetz, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,459,965, &
5,181,350 to Meckstroth, U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,998 to Hansen, U.S.
Pat. No. 4,757,649 to Vahldieck and in similar "reverse-curved"
inventions that rely on "reverse-curved" surfaces channeling water
into an open channel have been known to disallow entrance of
rainwater into the water-receiving channels. Albracht's as well as
previous and succeeding similar inventions have therefore notably
avoided the utilization of filter insertions. What may appear as a
logical anticipation by such inventions at first glance, (inserting
of a filter mesh or material into the channel), has been shown to
be undesirable and ineffective across a broad spectrum of filtering
materials: Employing insertable filters into such inventions has
not been found to be a simple matter of anticipation, or design
choice of filter medium by those skilled in the arts. Rather, it
has proved to be an ineffective option, with any known filter
medium, when attempted in the field. Such attempts, in the field,
have demonstrated that the filter mediums will eventually require
manual cleaning.
[0011] German Patent 5,905,961 teaches a gutter protection system
for preventing the entrance of debris into a rain gutter. The
German patent teaches a gutter protection system to include a
single continuous two sided well 7 with angled sides and perforated
bottom shelf which rainwater will flow and empty into the rain
gutter below. The well is recessed beneath and between two solid
lateral same plane shelves close to the front of the system for
water passage near and nearly level with the front top lip of the
gutter. The well is of a depth, which is capable of receiving a
filter mesh material. However, for the reasons described in the
preceding paragraphs, an ability to attach a medium to an
invention, not specifically designed to utilize such a medium, may
not result in an effective anticipation by an invention. Rather,
the result may be a diminishing of the invention and its
improvements as is the case in Albracht's U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,891,
the German Patent, and similar inventions employing recessed wells
or channels between adjoining planes or curvatures.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,027 to Vail teaches a continuous opening
24A between the two top shelves. Vail teaches a gutter protection
system having a single continuous well 25, the well having a depth
allowing insertion and retention of filter mesh material 26 (a top
portion of the filler mesh material capable of being fully exposed
at the holes). Vail does teach a gutter protection system designed
to incorporate an insertable filter material into a recessed well.
However, Vail notably names and intends the filter medium to be a
tangled mesh fiberglass five times the thickness of the invention
body. This type of filtration medium, also claimed in U.S. Pat. No.
4,841,686 to Rees, and in prior art currently marketed as
FLO-FREE.TM. is known to trap and hold debris within itself which,
by design, most filter mediums are intended to do, i.e.: trap and
hold debris. Vail's invention does initially prevent some debris
from entering an underlying rain gutter but gradually becomes
ineffective at channeling water into a rain gutter due to the
propensity of their claimed filter mediums to clog with debris.
Though Vail's invention embodies an insertable filter, such filter
is not readily accessible for cleaning when such cleaning is
necessitated. The gutter cover must be removed and uplifted for
cleaning and, the filter medium is not easily and readily inserted
replaced into its longitudinal containing channel extending three
or more feet. It is often noted, in the field, that these and
similar inventions hold fast pine needles in great numbers which
presents an unsightly appearance as well as create debris dams
behind the upwardly extended and trapped pine needles. Such filter
meshes and non-woven lofty fiber mesh materials, even when composed
of finer micro-porous materials, additionally tend to clog and fill
with oak tassels and other smaller organic debris because they are
not resting, by design, on a skeletal structure that encourages
greater water flow through its overlying filter membrane than
exists when such filter meshes or membranes contact planar
continuously-connected surfaces. Known filter mediums of larger
openings tend to trap and hold debris. Known filter mediums smaller
openings clog or "heal over" with pollen and dirt that becomes
embedded and remains in the finer micro-porous filter mediums.
There had not been found, as a matter of common knowledge or
anticipation, an effective water-permeable, non-clogging
"medium-of-choice" that can be chosen, in lieu of claimed or
illustrated filter mediums in prior art, that is able to overcome
the inherent tendencies of any known filter mediums to clog when
applied to or inserted within the types of water receiving wells
and channels noted in prior art until such a medium of inter
connected centered threads was disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No.
6,598,352 Col. 22 lines 47-50. The present invention will employ
such medium and utilize such in an embodiment less costly to
manufacture while remaining effective.
[0013] Vail also discloses that filter mesh material 26 is recessed
beneath a planar surface that utilizes perforations in the plane to
direct water to the filter medium beneath. Such perforated planar
surfaces as utilized by Vail, by Sweers U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,680, by
Morin U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,311 and by similar prior art are known to
only be partially effective at channeling water downward through
the open apertures rather than forward across the body of the
invention and to the ground. This occurs because of the principal
of water adhesion: rainwater tends to flow around perforations as
much as downward through them, and miss the rain gutter entirely.
Also, in observing perforated planes such as utilized by Vail and
similar inventions (where rainwater experiences its first contact
with a perforated plane) it is apparent that they present much
surface area impervious to downward water flow disallowing such
inventions from receiving much of the rainwater contacting
them.
[0014] A simple design choice or anticipation of multiplying the
perforations can result in a weakened body subject to deformity
when exposed to the weight of snow and/or debris or when, in the
case of polymer bodies, exposed to summer temperatures and
sunlight.
[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,754 to Cosby teaches a gutter guard
comprising a fine screen supported by a structural stiffening
matrix support that prevents the penetration of even fine debris
from entering a gutter. When lesser amounts of water flow are
present such a device will allow water flow through its combination
of screens downward into the gutter. However, during heavy
rainfall, roof runoff is known to simply travel over the top most
surface of such a device past an underlying gutter rather that
downward into the gutter. As with other devices aforementioned in
preceding paragraphs, this may occur due to a forward moving
underflow of water that can occur beneath the top most surface of
nearly planar gutter guards that do not incorporate downward
extending planes that break forward flow of water.
[0016] U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,686 to Rees teaches an improvement for
rain gutters comprising a filter attachment, which is constructed
to fit over the open end of a gutter. The filter attachment
comprised an elongated screen to the underside of which is clamped
a fibrous material such as fiberglass. Rees teaches in the
Background of The Invention that many devices, such as slotted or
perforated metal sheets, or screens of wire or other material, or
plastic foam, have been used in prior art to cover the open tops of
gutters to filter out foreign material. He states that success with
such devices has been limited because small debris and pine needles
still may enter through them into a rain gutter and clog its
downspout opening and or lodge in and clog the devices themselves.
Rees teaches that his use of a finer opening tangled fiberglass
filter sandwiched between two lateral screens will eliminate such
clogging of the device by smaller debris. However, in practice it
is known that such devices as is disclosed by Rees are only
partially effective at shedding debris while channeling rainwater
into an underlying gutter. Shingle oil leaching off of certain roof
coverings, pollen, dust, dirt, and other fine debris are known to
"heal over" such devices clogging and/or effectively
"water-proofing" them and necessitate the manual cleaning they seek
to eliminate. (If not because of the larger debris, because of the
fine debris and pollutants). Additionally, again as with other
prior art that seeks to employ filter medium screening of debris;
the filter medium utilized by Rees rests on an inter-connected
planar surface which provides non-broken continuous paths over and
under which water will flow, by means of water adhesion, to the
front of a gutter and spill to the ground rather than drop downward
into an underlying rain gutter. Whether filter medium is
"sandwiched" between perforated planes or screens as in Rees'
invention, or such filter medium exists below perforated planes or
screens and is contained in a well or channel, water will tend to
flow forward along continuous paths through cur as well as downward
into an underlying rain gutter achieving less than desirable
water-channeling into a rain gutter.
[0017] U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,904 to Gentry teaches a first fine
screen having mesh openings affixed to an underlying screen of
larger openings. Both screens are elastically deformable to permit
a user to compress the invention for insertion into a rain gutter.
Gentry, as Rees, recognizes the inability of prior art to prevent
entrance of finer debris into a rain gutter, and Gentry, as Rees,
relies on a much finer screen mesh than is employed by prior art to
achieve prevention of finer debris entrance into a rain gutter. In
both the Gentry and Rees prior art, and their improvements over
less effective filter mediums of previous prior art, it becomes
apparent that anticipation of improved filter medium or
configurations is not viewed as a matter of simple anticipation of
prior art which has, or could, employ filter medium. It becomes
apparent that improved filtering methods may be viewed as
patentable unique inventions in and of themselves and not
necessarily an anticipation or matter of design choice of a better
filter medium or method being applied to or substituted within
prior art that does or could employ filter medium. However, though
Rees and Gentry did achieve finer filtration over filter medium
utilized in prior art, their inventions also exhibit a tendency to
channel water past an underlying gutter and/or to heal over with
finer dirt, pollen, and other pollutants and clog thereby requiring
manual cleaning. Additionally, when filter medium is applied to or
rested upon planar perforated or screen meshed surfaces, there is a
notable tendency for the underlying perforated plane or screen to
channel water past the gutter where it will then spill to the
ground. It has also been noted that prior art listed herein
exhibits a tendency to allow filter cloth mediums to sag into the
opening of their underlying supporting structures. To compensate
for forward channeling of water, prior art embodies open apertures
spaced too distantly, or allows the apertures themselves to
encompass too large an area, thereby allowing the sagging of
overlying filter membranes and cloths. Such sagging creates pockets
wherein debris tends to settle and enmesh.
[0018] U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,132 to Dugan teaches a porous solid
material which is installed in the gutter to form an upper barrier
surface (against debris entrance into a rain gutter). Though Dugan
anticipates that any debris gathered on the upper barrier surface
will dry and blow away, that is not always the case with this or
similar devices. In practice, such devices are known to "heal over"
with pollen, oil, and other pollutants and effectively waterproof
or clog the device rendering it ineffective in that they prevent
both debris and water from entering a rain gutter. Pollen may
actually cement debris to the top surface of such devices and fail
to allow wash-off even after repeated rains. U.S. Pat. No.
4,949,514 to Weller sought to present more water receiving top
surface of a similar solid porous device by undulating the top
surface but, in fact, effectively created debris "traps" with the
peak and valley undulation. As with other prior art, such devices
may work effectively for a period of time but tend to eventually
channel water past a rain gutter, due to eventual clogging of the
device itself.
[0019] There are several commercial filtering products designed to
prevent foreign matter buildup in gutters. For example the
FLO-FREE.TM. gutter protection system sold by DCI of Clifton
Heights, Pa. comprises a 0.75-inch thick nylon mesh material
designed to fit within 5-inch K-type gutters to seal the gutters
and downspout systems from debris and snow buildup. The
FLO-FREE.TM. device fits over the hanging brackets of the gutters
and one side extends to the bottom of the gutter to prevent the
collapse into the gutter. However, as in other filtering attempts,
shingle material and pine needles can become trapped in the coarse
nylon mesh and must be periodically cleaned.
[0020] U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,843 to Tregear teaches a gutter device
that has an elongated matting having a plurality of open cones
arranged in transverse and longitudinal rows, the base of the cones
defining a lower first plane and the apexes of the cones defining
an upper second plane Col. 5 lines 16-25. Although the Tregear
device overcomes the eventual trapping of larger debris within a
filtering mesh composed of fabric sufficiently smooth to prevent
the trapping of debris he notes in prior art, the Tregear device
tends to eventually allow pollen, oil which may leach from asphalt
shingles, oak tassels, and finer seeds and debris to coat and heal
over a top-most matting screen it employs to disallow larger debris
from becoming entangled in the larger aperatured filtering medium
it covers. Filtering mediums (exhibiting tightly woven, knitted, or
tangled mesh threads to achieve density or "smoothness") disclosed
in Tregear and other prior art have been unable to achieve
imperviousness to waterproofing and clogging effects caused by a
healing or pasting over of such surfaces by pollen, fine dirt,
scum, oils, and air and water pollutants. Tregear indicates that
filtered configurations such as a commercially available attic
ventilation system known as Roll Vent.RTM. manufactured by Benjamin
Obdyke, Inc. Warminster, Pa. is suitable, with modifications that
accommodate its fitting into a rain gutter. However, such a device
has been noted, even in its original intended application, to
require cleaning (as do most attic screens and filters) to remove
dust, dirt, and pollen that combine with moisture to form adhesive
coatings that can scum or heal over such attic filters.
Additionally, referring again to Tregear's device, a lower first
plane tends to channel water toward the front lip of a rain gutter,
rather than allowing it's free passage downward, and allow the
feeding and spilling of water up and over the front lip of a rain
gutter by means of water-adhesion channels created in the lower
first plane.
[0021] Prior art has employed filter cloths over underlying mesh,
screens, cones, longitudinal rods, however such prior art has
eventually been realized as unable to prevent an eventual clogging
of their finer filtering membranes by pollen, dirt, oak tassels,
and finer debris. Such prior art has been noted to succumb to
eventual clogging by the healing over of debris which adheres
itself to surfaces when intermingled with organic oils, oily
pollen, and shingle oil that act as an adhesive. The hoped for
cleaning of leaves, pine needles, seed pods and other debris by
water flow or wind, envisioned by Tregear and other prior art, is
often not realized due to their adherence to surfaces by pollen,
oils, pollutants, and silica dusts and water mists. The cleaning of
adhesive oils, fine dirt, and particularly of the scum and paste
formed by pollen and silica dust (common in many soil types) by
flowing water or wind is almost never realized in prior art.
[0022] Prior art that has relied on reverse curved surfaces
channeling water inside a rain gutter due to surface tension, of
varied configurations and pluralities, arranged longitudinally,
have been noted to lose their surface tension feature as pollen,
oil, scum, Eventually adhere to them. Additionally, multi-channeled
embodiments of longitudinal reverse curve prior art have been noted
to allow their water receiving channels to become packed with pine
needles, oak tassels, other debris, and eventually clog disallowing
the free passage of water into a rain gutter. Examples of such
prior art are seen in the commercial product GUTTER HELMET.RTM.
manufactured by American Metal Products. In this and similar
commercial products, dirt and mildew build up on the bull-nose of
the curve preventing water from entering the gutter. Also ENGLERT'S
LEAFGUARD.RTM., manufactured and distributed by Englert Inc. of
Perthamboy N.J., and K-GUARD.RTM., manufactured and distributed by
Knudson Inc. of Colorado, are similarly noted to lose their
water-channeling properties due to dirt buildup. These commercial
products state such, in literature to homeowners that advises them
on the proper method of cleaning and maintaining their
products.
[0023] None of theses above-described systems keep all debris out
of a gutter system allowing water alone to enter, for an extended
length of time. Some allow lodging and embedding of pine needles
and other debris within their open water receiving areas causing
them to channel water past a rain gutter. Others allow such debris
to enter and clog a rain gutter's downspout opening. Still others,
particularly those employing filter membranes, succumb to a paste
and or scum-like healing over and clogging of their filtration
membranes over time rendering them unable to channel water into a
rain gutter. Pollen and silica dirt, particularly, are noted to
cement even larger debris to the filter, screen, mesh, perforated
opening, and/or reverse curved surfaces of prior art, adhering
debris to prior art in a manner that was not envisioned.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0024] A filter assembly is provided that has a filtering screen
and a skeletal structure, the skeletal structure being attached to
the filtering screen. At least one of the filtering screen and the
skeletal structure form a plurality of downward extending channels.
The invention employs a filtering membrane and underlying skeletal
support system applicable for disallowing small twigs, leaves, pine
needles, pollen, and other debris larger than 100 microns from
entering the gutter while directing rain water roof run off into an
underlying rain gutter in the presence of such debris. The
invention employs downward extending planes underside the filtering
membrane and supporting skeletal structure that break the forward
flow of water.
[0025] Unlike some prior art gutter guards which have a relatively
fine-mesh polymer, fiberglass, or metal layer overlying a
perforated panel that exhibits no downward water channeling planes,
the gutter guard of the present invention includes a filtering
screen integrally joined to a perforated expanded metal panel
forming a lateral plane with downward extending water channeling
paths. The absence of effective downward extending water channeling
paths exhibited in prior art that employs filtering methods often
allows for the forward channeling of water past rather than
downward into an underlying rain gutter. Unlike prior art that does
employ effective downward extending water channeling paths in a
polymer body, notably LEAFFILTER.TM., the present invention has
been demonstrated to achieve similar properties through a design
more readily accomplished at lower cost of manufacture.
[0026] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a gutter shield that permits drainage of water runoff into
the gutter trench without debris becoming entrenched or embedded
within the surface of the device itself and that employs a
filtration membrane configuration that possesses sufficient
self-cleaning properties that prevent the buildup of scum, oil,
dirt, pollen, and pollutants that necessitate eventual manual
cleaning as is almost always the case with prior art.
[0027] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
gutter shield that redirects water and self-cleans as effectively
as the LEAFFILTER.TM. gutter shield has been shown to do but do so
at a lower cost of manufacture.
[0028] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
gutter shield that will accept more water run-off into a five inch
K-style rain gutter than such a gutter's downspout opening is able
to drain before allowing the rain gutter to overflow (in instances
where a single three-inch by five-inch downspout is installed to
service 600 square feet of roofing surface).
[0029] Other objects will appear hereinafter.
[0030] It has now been discovered that the above and other objects
of the present invention may be accomplished in the following
manner. Specifically, the present invention provides a gutter
screen for use with gutters having an elongated opening. Normally
the gutters are attached to or suspended from a building.
[0031] An important feature of the present invention is to capture
and redirect water flow across it's filtering membrane downward
through the underlying skeletal support of expanded metal and into
an underlying rain gutter as effectively as, and at a lower cost of
manufacture, than does the LEAFFILTER.TM. gutter guard.
[0032] Another important feature of the present invention is to
redirect downward flow of water rearward to the rear most portion
of a rain gutter by means of angled walls comprising diamond shaped
openings present in the underlying skeletal support of expanded
metal whereby a forward underflow of water on the bottom surfaces
of the gutter screen is greatly diminished.
[0033] The gutter shield device includes a first connecting plane
of roll formed metal, a second filtering plane of roll formed metal
and metallic or polymer cloth, and a third connecting plane of roll
formed metal roll formed into an integral unit. The gutter shield
device is adapted for being positioned in a longitudinally
extending k-style gutter used for capturing rainwater runoff from
roof structures.
[0034] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention,
the first plane comprises an angled z-shaped connecting member for
securing the gutter shield device to an inwardly extending flange
of a k-style gutter to hold the gutter shield in place during use.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the
first plane is fastened longitudinally along the first edge of the
second plane by means of roll formed crimps. According to another
preferred embodiment of the invention, the second plane comprises a
combined fine filtering membrane with an underlying skeletal
support of expanded metal support that may be assembled together as
an integral unit.
[0035] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention,
the filtering membrane has mesh openings not greater than 80
microns, top and bottom surfaces, first and second opposing edges,
two opposing ends and an elongated axis extending between opposing
ends. Adjacent the filtering membrane is the expanded metal support
having diamond shaped openings, each wall of the opening angled
downward at approximately 30 degrees, top and bottom surfaces,
first and second opposing edges and two opposing ends.
[0036] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention,
the first opposing edge of the expanded metal is fastened and
crimped by means of roll forming to the first opposing edge of the
filtering membrane to form a fast edge portion.
[0037] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention,
the second opposing edge of the expanded metal is fastened and
crimped by means of roll forming to the second opposing edge of the
filtering membrane to form a second edge portion. The expanded
metal support and filtering membrane, so joined as an integral
plane, are then roll-formed to create two or more v-shaped downward
extending longitudinal channels within the integral plane that
transverse the length of the invention parallel to the first and
second edge portions for redirecting water flow downward into the
gutter.
[0038] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention,
the third plane comprises a lateral connecting plane longitudinally
fastened to the second edge of the second plane for securing the
gutter shield device beneath the shingles of a roof. The first and
third connecting planes provide a fastening method for securing the
gutter shield device in place over a gutter.
[0039] In another embodiment, the third plane comprises a rear
vertical leg fastened to and perpendicular to the second plane for
resting on a gutter spike or gutter hangar for securing the gutter
shield within the open lateral top of a rain gutter.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
[0040] Of the above described systems, the LEAFFILTER.TM. self
cleaning gutter guard is known to have demonstrated an ability to,
in almost every circumstance and over a period of years, prevent
either a rain gutter or the gutter guard itself from clogging, or
failing to direct water into a gutters downspout, due to debris
lodging, or pollen or scum or oil accumulation. Of the remainder of
the above described systems it has been noted that a buildup or
coating of debris, pollutants, and oils either cause water adhesion
properties to be lost or cause blockage of water receiving openings
resulting in rain water roof run-off to flow past, rather than
into, an underlying rain gutter.
[0041] An object of the present invention is to provide the above
noted advantages, accomplished in the LEAFFILTER.TM. gutter guard,
at a reduced cost to manufacturer and consumer. Additional objects
of the present invention are to provide a gutter shield device that
employs a fine filtration combination that is not subject to
gumming or healing over by pollen, silica dust, oils, and other
very fine debris, as well as to provide a filtration configuration
and encompassing body that eliminates any forward channeling of
rain water on surfaces or undersurfaces as is noted in prior
art.
[0042] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
filtration configuration that does not allow its filter cloth or
membrane to sag and develop debris catching pockets. Another object
of the present invention is to provide the noted advantages,
accomplished in the LEAFFILTER.TM. gutter guard, at a reduced cost
to manufacturer and consumer. Another object of the present
invention is to provide the above advantages in a readily
roll-formed gutter guard that may be manufactured on-site, via
mobile roll-forming machines, at residential locations allowing for
custom fitting of different rain gutters present on residential
homes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0043] FIG. 1 is a top view of a wire screen which is a component
of the present invention.
[0044] FIG. 2 is a top view of a filter membrane which is a
component of the present invention.
[0045] FIG. 3 is a top view of the filter membrane illustrating 3
applied adhesive strips.
[0046] FIG. 4 is a top view illustrating the filter membrane
applied and resting on an underlying support screen of expanded
metal, both being components of the present invention.
[0047] FIG. 5 is a top view of components of the present invention
generally shown in FIG. 4, that introduces two fastening sleeve
components of the present invention.
[0048] FIG. 6 is a top view of components of the present invention
illustrating an alternate embodiment of securing the filter
membrane and underlying screen components of the present
invention.
[0049] FIG. 7 is a top view of the present invention that
illustrates a filter membrane of greater width than an underlying
screen.
[0050] FIG. 8 is a top view of two components of the present
invention merged by lapping a wider filtering membrane around
lateral edges of an underlying screen and crimping both filter
membrane and screen together along their respective lateral
edges.
[0051] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of lateral edges of components of
the present invention.
[0052] FIG. 10 is top view of components of the present invention
generally shown in FIG. 4.
[0053] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a water directing channel
component of the present invention.
[0054] FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a water directing channel
component of the present invention exhibiting walls of the channel
crimped together.
[0055] FIG. 13 is a top view of the present invention illustrating
a rear attaching component.
[0056] FIG. 14 is an exploded view of the rear attaching component
generally shown in FIG. 13.
[0057] FIG. 15 is a top view of the present invention illustrating
a rear attaching component unlike the rear attaching component
shown in FIG. 13.
[0058] FIG. 16 is an exploded view of the rear attaching component
shown in FIG. 15.
[0059] FIGS. 17 & 18 are top views of a preferred embodiment of
the present invention.
[0060] FIG. 19 is a cross sectional view of an assembling line.
[0061] FIG. 20 is an exploded view of a roller component of the
assembling line.
[0062] FIG. 21 is an exploded view of a tensioned roller component
of the assembling line.
[0063] FIG. 22 is a cross sectional view of an assembling line
generally shown in FIG. 20.
[0064] FIG. 23 is a general pictorial view, partial in cross
section, illustrating a gutter cover according to the present
invention and installed above a conventional gutter adjacent to a
conventional building.
[0065] FIG. 24 is a general pictorial view of the present invention
generally shown in FIG. 23, illustrating a different rear attaching
member than is shown as employed by the present invention in FIG.
23.
REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS
[0066] TABLE-US-00001 1 Expanded metal screen 1a width of expanded
metal screen 2 downward extending channels 2a gap between walls of
downward extending channels 3 fine mesh membrane 3a width of fine
mesh membrane 4 glue strips 5 sprayed liquid adhesive 6 metal
z-shaped sleeve 7 metal u-shaped sleeve 8 crimps 9 rear connecting
sleeve 10 width of top plane of rear connecting sleeve 11 recessed
channel 12 opening 13 gripping tooth 14 width of recessed channel
15 lower plane of rear connecting sleeve 16 lower plane of rear
connecting sleeve 17 lower plane of rear connecting sleeve 18 width
of first segment of top plane of rear connecting sleeve 19 width of
second segment of top plane of rear connecting sleeve 20 width of
third segment of top plane of rear connecting sleeve 21 top
horizontal plane of rear connecting member 22 top angled plane of
rear connecting member 23 vertical rear leg of rear connecting
member 24 height of lower segment of vertical rear leg of rear
connecting member 25a-c decoiling cylinder 26 rolling assembly
cylinder 26a, b, c rolling assembly cylinders 27, 27a-e shaping and
crimping cylinders 28 roofing shingles 29 rain gutter 30 front lip
of k-style gutter 31 subroof 32 preferred embodiments of present
invention 33 fascia board
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0067] Referring now specifically to the drawings, in FIG. 1 a
gutter screen (protector) is illustrated 1 with downward extending
water receiving channels 2. The preferred gauge of the gutter
screen wire is approximately 0.035 to 0.055 inch, which is suitably
thick to maintain it's shape and not deform or dip under load
bearing weight of snow and ice. The preferred gauge of the gutter
screen wire is also of a narrow enough diameter (0.035 to 0.055) to
allow the screen 1 sufficient flexibility to be wrapped around a
spindle 25 and later unrolled in a manufacturing process as
illustrated in FIG. 19.
[0068] Referring now to FIG. 1 the gutter screen 1 presents a
horizontal surface which extrudes downward into channels 2, which
act to inhibit the forward flow of rainwater off a roof structure
by means of their open-air areas 2a, having no greater than 1/4
inch width of open air, which interrupt or inhibit some amount of
forward water flow. The forward flow of water is further inhibited
by being encouraged to flow downward into an underlying gutter due
to a downward flowing water path created by the water tension that
exists on the wire surfaces of 1 and 2 as they extend downward into
any underlying rain gutter. This is an improvement over gutter
screens presented in prior art which tend to channel water forward
along their single plane or near single plane wire structures,
around open air space apertures present in the same plane of the
screen, and past, rather than into, a rain gutter. The side walls
of channels 2 are crimped closely together contacting each other
creating a honey combed wall that has demonstrated an ability to
channel greater volumes of water than a solid plane or fin of the
same dimensions that would extend downward. Such fins or planes
have been utilized in prior art.
[0069] The downward crimped extensions 2 occurring in the
horizontal plane of screen 1 also offer an improvement over prior
art that employs fine screen or mesh placed over a perforated
undulating or wavy support skeleton: Such prior art exhibits
lateral weakness, tending to concave, and also provides fewer
contact points between fine screen mesh and larger underlying
support screen allowing for sagging of the supported mesh to occur.
It has also been observed that sequential "waves" or undulations
separated by open air space, channel a lesser volume of water
downward and allow more to channel forward than does the compressed
or crimped channels 2 of the present invention. Prior art that
employs waves or undulations as a supporting skeleton for an
overlying finer mesh, if constructed of identical material as the
present invention, incurs greater cost of manufacture, as more
material is required for prior art to cover the same amount of open
gutter the present invention would cover.
[0070] Referring now to FIG. 2: a filtering membrane 3 is
illustrated that is comprised of warp-knit or "junctured" (threads
not crossing over and under each other but, rather, passing through
or adjoining each other) metal or polymer threads that form a
fabric or mesh with air space between threads of approximately
.ltoreq.80 microns. This particular method of fabric or mesh
construction prevents the smallest of debris from "catching" and
then lodging in the membrane itself as is common with filter
methods, cloth, and membranes presented in prior art. Testing has
shown that filtering membranes and screens so constructed, and made
to contact each other in as many points as possible, as illustrated
in FIG. 10, (with the points of contact being limited to no greater
widths than 0.03 inches) exhibit great resistance to clogging or
matting due to pollen, oil that leaches from shingles, and other
pollutants that commonly coat prior art and eventually lead to the
loss of water permeability and water adhesion. A particular test of
the invention involved immersing the invention in 30 wt oil: within
10 seconds water permeability of the invention was regained. Prior
art so tested: filters, perforated planes, fins, curved surfaces,
tangled mesh, louvers, multi-channeled curved surfaces, filtering
membranes over planar perforated surfaces, filtering membranes over
undulating or wavy surfaces, demonstrated significant loss of water
adhesion and siphoning abilities for hours and, in some instances,
days.
[0071] Limiting the space between threads to approximately 80
microns, does allow sufficient water permeability, approximately
75%, to accommodate rainfall run-off if the threads are warp-knit
or "junctured". Tests have shown that when such cloth is tilted at
angles greater than 20 degrees, forward flow of water begins and
water permeability of the filtering cloth is significantly reduced.
When, however, such cloth or membrane 3 is made to contact
underlying planes that extend downward, additional surface tension
is created at the points of contact and the siphoning ability of
the filtering membrane is regained. When such downward extending
planes are composed of porous sidewalls that contact each other,
the siphoning ability of the filtering membrane is not only
regained, but improved and water permeability (or the ability to
siphon water downward through the membrane) of filtering membranes
will increase and remain as high as 97% even when such membrane is
tilted at angles of 50 degrees (referenced to a horizontal
plane).
[0072] Referring to FIG. 3, adhesive strips 4 are applied at each
edge and at an approximate center location on the underside of
filter membrane 3. This process may be accomplished at a fabric
mill at the time of cloth manufacture and is one method of affixing
filtering membrane 3 to underlying screen 1.
[0073] Referring to FIG. 4 liquefied adhesive paths 5 are sprayed
or otherwise applied to the top surface of screen 1 where they then
are made to contact the underside of filter membrane 3 as an
alternate method (to adhesive strips) of affixing filter membrane 3
to underling screen 1. The spraying would be accomplished at the
site of the roll forming merger of membrane 3 to underlying screen
1 as is illustrated in FIG. 19: spraying head 41 spraying liquefied
adhesive 5 to the top surface of screen 1.
[0074] Referring to FIG. 22 the filter membrane 3 wound on a spool
25a, may be unwound and applied and pressed onto the top surface of
gutter screen 1, by tensioning roller bars 26a, 26b, and 26c as is
illustrated. The tensioning bars are intended to position the
filter membrane 3 in place as the adhesive strips (or narrow paths
of adhesive spray) temporarily secure the filter membrane to the
gutter screen 1 allowing permanent securing sleeves 6 and 7
(supplied by decoiling cylinders 25b, 25c) to be roll formed and
crimped on to sides of filter screen 1 and membrane 3 by tooled
dies 27, 27a, 27b, 27c, 27d, & 27e.
[0075] Referring to FIG. 4 it is illustrated that the adhesive
strips or spray 5, which join filter membrane 3 to screen 1 are not
positioned over downward extending channels 2. Doing so may create
a "bridging effect" that would encourage forward water flow across
the glue paths or strips rather than encourage the downward
siphoning effect on water the channels 2 exhibit. The adhesive
strips 4 do, however, act to impede the forward flow of water and
when positioned away from channels 2: The adhesive strips or spray
paths 5 indirectly allow the downward extensions 2 to more
effectively siphon water downward and into the rain gutter beneath
by slowing the water flow entering the downward extensions as well
as slowing the lesser amounts of water that falls through the
remaining non-channeled portions of screen 1.
[0076] This unique dual use of the adhesive strips or stray paths
is an improvement over filtered gutter cover methods presented in
prior art that tend to channel water by surface tension along
single planed horizontal surfaces past the top opening of a rain
gutter. This dual use of the adhesive strips or spray paths also
offers an improvement over prior art that employs fine mesh over
undulating or wavy support skeletons that may glue filtering mesh
to the underlying skeleton along the top of undulations or waves,
encouraging forward flow water paths and/or no glue paths
whatsoever exist to inhibit forward water flow.
[0077] Referring to FIG. 5, sleeve 6 is a metal or polymer "z"
shaped length, approximately 1/2'' to 1'' in width, that will be
crimped 8 onto the left edge of gutter screen 1 and filter membrane
3 permanently fastening them together as illustrated in FIG. 6.
Sleeve 6 of FIG. 5 provides a means of fastening the left (or
forward facing) edge of the invention to the top lip of a K-style
rain gutter. Sleeve 7 is a metal or polymer "u" or "v" shaped
length approximately 1/2'' to 1'' in width that will be crimped 8
onto the rear (or right) edge of gutter screen 1 and filter
membrane 3 permanently fastening them together.
[0078] The invention offers improvement over prior art in that the
junctured or warp-knit construction of both screen 1 and membrane
2, when joined and achieving as many points of contact as possible
exhibits greater water permeability than has been seen in prior art
employing fine filtration membrane or cloths whose thread pattern
is not so constructed: The invention also offers improvement over
prior art that employs filtering screens or cloths, in different
embodiments, in that the present invention exposes greater surface
area, per rear to forward lateral inch, of water permeable membrane
(that is able to effectively direct water flow) to oncoming rain
water roof run-off by means of the present invention's downward
extensions 2.
[0079] The invention, FIG. 6, additionally offers improvement over
prior inventions in that it demonstrates great resistance to
residual organic buildup which has been demonstrated to clog, and
render ineffective, prior art over time. The combination of the
particular type of a "warp-knit" or "junctured" filtration cloth or
fine mesh over a screen mesh or hardware cloth with diamond shaped
openings (that also employs wires junctured together on an equal
plane (rather than woven up and under one another) creates a
stronger downward siphoning action than is exhibited in prior art
that utilizes fine or medium filter membranes or cloth fastened
over underlying screens or perforated surface. The strong siphoning
action, downward water channeling, and water permeability of the
invention is due, in part, to the myriad of "blocks" to forward
water flow presented by warp knit or "junctured" mesh or cloth:
each thread intersects or abuts another causing water flow to
"brake", then climb up and over a new thread, time and time again
at each thread intersection, without being able to follow a more
continuous and unobstructed flow path available with other
threading methods such as under and over, or knotted thread
weaving, or knitting, or non-woven lofty fiber methods. Gravity is
then able to exhibit more force on any water, present on the
invention, than does the momentum of forward water flow.
[0080] Referring to FIG. 19, a spray jet 41 spraying a quick drying
weak adhesive 5 onto the top surface of gutter screen 1 is shown as
an alternative way of temporarily fastening and holding in place
the filter cloth membrane 3 until sleeves 6 and 7 are crimped onto
the edges of filter cloth membrane 3 and gutter screen 1 achieving
a permanent fastening of the filter membrane to the gutter
screen.
[0081] Referring to FIG. 7, there is illustrated a filter membrane
3 slit to a width wider than the underlying skeleton 1 it will
attach to.
[0082] Referring to FIG. 9, it is illustrated that a metal wire
cloth membrane of junctured or warp-knit construction, with thread
per inch counts of 100 or more, is wrapped around and under a side
edge of a supporting skeleton 1. The wire cloth is then crimped 8
onto the underlying support screen. This method of securing a
screening element to an underlying support structure offers an
improvement over prior art in that such a securing method is easily
accomplished, economical, and does not require a third additional
fastening element or material.
[0083] Referring to FIGS. 10, 11, & 12 it is illustrated that
membrane 3a is roll formed down into channel 2, (illustrated in the
exploded view of FIG. 11). FIG. 12 illustrates that channel 2 is
then crimped together so that membrane 3 and screen 1 contact each
other within the well of channel 2. This embodiment of channel 2 is
another, less costly, method of achieving "downward extending
legs", disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,352, column 13, lines
40-47, that break the forward flow of water and redirect water away
from an overlying filtering membrane and also serves to further
secure membrane 3 to underlying screen 1. A downward curve of the
combined screen 1 and membrane 3 is created at the top of each
"leg" of channel 2 and is another, less costly, method of achieving
"oval ellipses", disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,352, column 13,
lines 47-51, that redirect water away from an overlying filtering
membrane to underlying "downward extending legs". This embodiment
of channel 2 additionally creates a honey-combed porous plane that
presents a great number of downward flow paths to water which is
traveling the surface of an upper plane the channels 2 are
connected to.
[0084] The greater number of flow paths presented by this
honey-combed embodiment of channels 2, over prior art that employs
downward extending fins, or open air apertures in a singular plane,
or curved surfaces, or singular filters, or filtering membranes
over planar surfaces, or filtering membranes over undulating or
wavy surfaces, offers improved siphoning ability and water
re-direction into an underlying gutter.
[0085] Channel 2 should leave an open air space 2a of no greater
width than 1/8 inch. FIGS. 10, 11, & 12 demonstrate the
preferred securing of membrane 3a to underlying support skeleton 1.
The roll forming of 3a down into channels 2 illustrates the most
effective embodiment of channels 2 of the present invention: this
embodiment best redirects water flow into an underlying gutter
while presenting only minute areas, 2a, where debris may tend to
gather.
[0086] FIG. 13 and FIG. 15 illustrate two interchangeable rear
attachments: 9 and 14. The attachments have a forward securing
configuration 13, 15, 16, and 17 that allow the attachments to
interchangeably clip onto main body 1a. Rear attachment 9 may be
utilized in instances where it may be advantageous to install the
rear of the gutter cover onto, or sandwiched between, a roof
membrane and underlying sub roof as is illustrated in FIG. 24. Rear
attachment 14 may be utilized in instances where it is desirable to
allow the gutter cover to rest wholly inside the top open end of a
rain gutter and not have any part of the gutter cover extend up
onto a roof as is illustrated in FIG. 23.
[0087] Referring to FIG. 14 it is illustrated that two indented
channels 40 lie in plane 10 of rear channel 9. These channels may
serve to act as flex or adjusting points and to enable heating
cables to be inserted into them, if desired.
[0088] Referring to FIG. 16 an exploded view of rear attachment 14
is seen. Plane 22 of rear attachment 14 can contact a fascia board
and create a rear to forward tension to secure the present
invention into the top open end of a rain gutter.
[0089] FIGS. 14 and 17 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the
present invention: A cloth filtering membrane 3, with openings
limited to no larger than 80 microns and of junctured or warp knit
construction, is roll formed onto the top surface of supporting
screen 1 and down into channels 2 and then roll formed around the
lateral edges of support screen 1 and subsequently crimped in place
near the later edges of supporting screen 1 and filtering membrane
3, (as illustrated in FIG. 10). Channels 2 extend to lengths not
less than 3/4 inch and are crimped tightly together so that each
side wall of the channels physically contact each other creating a
micro-porous honey-combed downward extending plane. Testing has
indicated that channels 2 begin to forward channel water on the
underside of supporting screen 1 when their length is less than 3/4
inch. A z-shaped roll-formed strip 6 is then crimped onto the
forward lateral edge of the present invention: strip 6 will act to
secure membrane 3 to underlying support skeleton 1 as well as serve
to secure the gutter screen (the present invention) to the forward
top lip of a k-style gutter. A choice of rear attachments 14 and 9
may then act to further secure membrane 3 to screen 1.
Additionally, the attachments allow the present invention 32 to act
as a rain gutter screen that may be inserted wholly into the top of
a rain gutter, resting on securing spikes or gutter hangars, and
held in place by rear to forward tension (when 14 is chosen as the
rear attachment) as is illustrated in FIG. 23, or to serve as a
gutter screen that allows for the insertion of it's rear attachment
9 beneath a roofing membrane or shingles to secure the present
invention in place as is illustrated in FIG. 24.
[0090] An improvement if offered over prior art in that the
interchangeability of rear attachments 9 and 14 offer a
configurable gutter cover that may be adjusted for installation in
a wider array of circumstances existing in the field than is
offered by prior art, which are known to be limited to the single
choice of either "under the shingle" installation or to "wholly
inside the gutter" installation.
Operation
[0091] Referring to FIGS. 23 and 24, rain water will flow from a
roof structure 28 onto the filtering membrane and screened plane 32
of the invention. The filtering membrane and screen combination 32
will redirect water flow downward into an underlying rain gutter.
Testing has shown that 32, absent channels 2, is able to redirect
approximately 50% of rainfall that contacts 32 when rainfalls of 3
to 5 inches per hour occur over roofs with 32 foot rafter spans and
slopes greater than 3/12 pitch. Testing further indicates that,
when plane 32 incorporates channels 2, the invention is able to
redirect approximately 97% of rainfall into an underlying rain
gutter (when rainfalls of 3-5 inches per hour occur over roofs with
32 foot rafter spans and slopes greater than 3/12 pitch.) Testing
of the invention, in it's preferred embodiment, indicate that the
invention is capable of redirecting approximately 90% of rain fall
into an underlying rain gutter when rainfalls of 8-10 inches per
hour occur over roofs with 32 foot rafter spans and slopes greater
than 3/12 pitch. Significant water run-off or over shoot has been
noted when the invention is installed on rain gutters that service
roofs with pitches less than 3/12 and at "inside valleys" of hip
valley roofs.
[0092] Debris, that may accompany rainfall runoff or that may, by
other means, contact the invention will not lodge within or cling
to plane 32. Prior art commonly allows shingle grit, oak tassels,
fir needles, and other small debris to enter a rain gutter or to
become within the prior art itself. Testing has indicated the
present invention makes this occurrence nearly impossible. Gravity
or water adhesion may temporarily cause debris to rest on top of
plane 32, but it has been noted that water from roof run-off will
travel beneath such debris and contact plane 32 and be directed
into the underlying rain gutter 29. Debris has been noted to rest
or lodge on or within prior art and cause a bridging effect which
channels water past the water receiving areas of prior art and onto
the ground.
[0093] It has been noted that pollen has the capacity to "cement"
debris to prior art, and to the present invention. Testing has
shown that pollen may coat 32 but will wash through as soon as
water from roof run-off contacts it. Testing has shown this is not
the case with prior art: pollen tends to remain on prior art and
require physical removal for restoration of water adhesion and/or
permeability.
[0094] It is illustrated in FIG. 23 that the present invention may
be inserted or snapped into the top open end of a rain gutter and
remain in place by a rear to forward tension existing across plane
32 that is created by attachment 14 contacting fascia board 33 and
z-shaped roll-formed strip 6 contacting the top upper lip 30 of a
k-style gutter. Attachment 14 rests on an underlying hangar or
spike and may be notched out to fit over them if necessary to
maintain a constant level plane across sections of the invention as
it is installed. Many building owners prefer that shingles or roof
membranes not be lifted and disturbed due to the possible voiding
of shingle warranties, and also prefer a gutter guard to install in
a fashion that does not allow it to contact a building's sub roof:
much prior art requires such installation.
[0095] Also, many homeowners find the appearance of a gutter guard
covering the fast row of shingles on their home to be unattractive.
In these instances, an installer in the field may snap attachment
14 onto the rear edge of plane 32.
[0096] In some instances, a home or building owner may desire a
"wholly inside the gutter" installation as is illustrated in FIG.
23, but certain sections of a rain gutter may have shingles
extending down into a gutter, or straps that extend from a subroof
down into the gutter or onto it's top front lip, or the gutter may
have a cable or other wire directly over it and passing thought the
fascia board 33 it is attached to, or a drip edge may extend down
into a gutter making the installation of a "wholly inside the
gutter" gutter guard difficult or impossible. In these instances,
an installer may opt to snap or place attachment 9 onto the rear
lateral plane of 32 and continue installation with a matched
product.
[0097] The invention will be manufactured in lengths that simply
butt together at installation. Either rear attachment allows for
quick installation and provides a gutter guard that ensures debris
as small as 80 microns, or a grain of shingle grit, will not enter
a gutter, and additionally ensures the gutter guard itself will
remain water permeable and effective at channeling water into a
rain gutter.
[0098] The embodiments illustrated and discussed in this
specification are intended only to teach those skilled in the art
the best way known to the inventors to make and use the invention.
Nothing in this specification should be considered as limiting the
scope of the present invention. All examples presented are
representative and non-limiting. The above-described embodiments of
the invention may be modified or varied, without departing from the
invention, as appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of
the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within
the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the invention may be
practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
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